How to Plant Cedar Trees

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How to Plant Cedar Trees

Looking up the center of a cedar tree.image by TheBusyBrain: Flickr.com

Overview

Cedar trees are easy to grow once they're established, and provide a dynamic, wintry look to a fall garden. Most cedar trees produce colorful berries in the wintertime, giving your barren garden a fresh look and providing bluebirds, robins and many other fruit-eating birds with sustenance through the winter. Belonging to the pine family, these trees grow to about 100 feet in height with dark to light green, needle-like leaves. Plant cedar trees in the fall in an area with full sun for the best growth.

Step 1

Find an area suitable for your cedar trees, preferably in full sun, with at least 2 feet between each tree.

Step 2

Measure the bag covering the roots of each tree. Measure its height and width and add 2 to 3 inches to each measurement.

Step 3

Dig a hole the size of your adjusted measurement from Step 2. Use a rototiller and shovel. The rototiller will make the work easier by breaking up the hard soil before digging.

Step 4

Fill the hole 2 to 3 inches with compost or peat moss. Water the compost thoroughly and wait for the soil to settle completely.

Step 5

Pull the roots out of the root bag and sprinkle them gently with water if they are dry. Gently separate them from each other, giving them room to spread out.

Step 6

Place the tree gently into the hole and fill the hole with a one-to-one mix of compost and original soil. Pack the soil down with your feet.

Step 7

Set up a soaker hose near the base of the tree and thoroughly water the roots. Wait for the ground to settle and refill any holes in the soil that are created by the draining. Make sure no roots are ever left exposed.

Step 8

Cover the base of each tree with 3 to 4 inches of mulch and add additional mulch each fall.

Step 9

Water each tree with the soaker hose for two to three hours each morning and evening during the first two to three weeks. Once established, the tree only needs to be watered during extremely dry periods.

Things You'll Need

Shovel

Rototiller

Compost

Soaker hose

References

Planting and Care of Cedar Trees

Th Cedar Guys

Common Questions on Cedar

Who Can Help

A Dozen "Must Have" Plants

Keywords:
cedar trees, planting cedar, cedar establishment

About this Author

Lily Obeck is a copywriter based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She writes for print, online, outdoor and broadcast marketing, with expertise in health, education and lifestyle topics. Obeck holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Texas and works as a part-time children's library assistant.